Farina has a fresh slate and a shot at redemption

You've spent so much of your life in Sydney - it's almost your second home. Pleased to be back?

FRANK FARINA: It's fantastic. I'd just signed a contract in Papua New Guinea a month ago, so this has come right out of the blue. I had eight years here with Marconi and the national team so I know Sydney pretty well. It's good to be back.

SH: Is it fair to say you didn't think you'd be back?

FF: Without doubt, but this was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. It's not the ideal circumstances to be returning under, but it's a big club and any career coach would give their right arm to be offered this job.

SH: How did you end up being offered the position?

FF: Ask the club - it was a surprise to get the call because only three people in Australia had my PNG number. I'm not sure how they tracked me down, but we worked out a deal within 10, 15 minutes over the phone.

SH: Six months isn't a long time. Do you feel the need to get results from day one?

FF: Of course. I was under no illusion coming into the job that it was six months and no more. Agents are throwing players at me now for next year but there's no point in that - I might not be here. My job, as I see it, is to stabilise Sydney. But Sydney isn't used to being on the bottom of the table, and we've got to do all we can to try and get some points on the board.

SH: Are you hoping to stick around next year?

FF: I'm not even thinking of that. It's very clear to me this is only for the end of the season, and for me that's enough. That's pressure, but pressure is what you make of it.

SH: Speaking of pressure, that's the knock on you, and you've landed the most pressure-filled job in Australian football.

FF: You can't let pressure - be it from the board, fans or media - get to you. I've worked for the national team for a long time so I know what it's like. I don't feel pressure like some think. Marcos Flores summed it up when he said that pressure is living in Argentina, where danger is everywhere and you don't know how you'll feed your family. Football? That's not pressure. That's fun.

SH: Results-wise, is the board's primary demand that you make the finals?

FF: Absolutely, they still want to make the top six. Will we achieve that? I don't know, but we have to start now. People think it's still early days but there's only 18 rounds left, and Sydney has only won two games. Something has to change.

SH: Are you sure you have the players to do that?

FF: I have to believe it. I don't have a choice.

SH: What's the biggest problem you can see?

FF: We've leaked 20 or so goals in five games. We've got to address that and fast. If you concede 20 goals, you've got to score a hell of a lot to win.

SH: How hard will you attack the transfer window?

FF: Rock hard. With a sledgehammer, if I can, to get the players I want. We need something extra. What we've got is OK but I'd prefer to have more.

SH: So the existing players are on notice?

FF: I'd say they've got a fresh slate, actually. A new chance. The best players and hardest workers will play. The ones who get on board will be safe.

SH: Your Brisbane Roar side were attacking and free flowing. Will you bring that here?

FF: You want to play like that but it depends on the players you have. As good as that philosophy is, we'll play a style of football which will get us points. That's the reality. If we're pretty and get points, great. If we're ugly and get points, great. I think any Sydney FC fan will gladly take a 1-0 win even if it means we're not playing free-flowing football.

SH: So style is secondary to results, then?

FF: It's all about results. Everyone wants to see the team play well but more than that, they want to win. Supporters won't cop a losing team.

SH: How much of the team have you seen?

FF: I've seen most of the games this year. Some parts impressed, a lot of parts didn't.

SH: There's a general belief the team isn't fit enough. Does that explain the heavy training sessions?

FF: That's been spoken about and written about a lot. I don't know about their preseason but a lot of players are clearly underdone. Maybe some were injured and that explains it. The intensity in training has been good this week but they're falling down a little bit. We don't have time to do another preseason now, it's too late to build core fitness. We can get football fitness right, though.

SH: You weren't fired from Brisbane for being a bad coach. Does that rankle?

FF: Everyone knows why I left, and it had nothing to do with coaching. It doesn't rankle - I accept what happened. I've moved on, and I wish a few others would, too. I know not everyone likes me. Some people want me out of the game forever for what happened, others want me locked up. That's OK - I'm not here to win a popularity contest.

SH: That side went so close to winning it. Were you envious when Ange Postecoglou won it a year later?

FF: No, not at all. I brought in a lot of young players, and was thrilled for them. Ange built on that but also did his own thing. We were unlucky in my time. We nearly made it to two grand finals.

SH: Do you feel this is your shot at redemption? A second chance?

FF: Yeah, it's my chance to get back in. It's a difficult chance but I had to take it. I love football, and this is my opportunity to be part of it.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/farina-has-a-fresh-slate-and-a-shot-at-redemption-20121206-2ayhh.html